WILLCOX Cowboy Hall of Fame inductees

Tom Todd (130)
1957 -
2022 COWBOY HALL OF FAME

Born January 21, 1957, the younger twin brother by 8 minutes. Being the younger twin is hard, but even if you are born 8 minutes later or two years later you are always going to be the younger brother. When these identical twins moved to Willcox I could not tell them apart. I finally asked Heidi, Tom wife, how she could tell them apart. She said it was easy. Tom is the better looking one. (I made that up, Heidi didn’t say that. It might be true but Heidi didn’t say it) Tom’s life began in Livingston, Montana and for the next 23 years he roamed the outdoors, hunting, fishing and jumping fences riding bareback. He always liked horses and cattle and maybe the most important thing was that he enjoyed the horseback work. The work of a cowboy.

In 1980, Tom came down from Montana to help his Grand Pa Peterson on the Antelope Ranch. Tom said, “He met lots of neat people.” Neighbors like Bill DeRacy, Dave McIntosh, Jack and Russell Tunks. Ranchers like Jack Davenport told him to get his work done by 2PM, because in those days, if it was going to rain it would rain at 2 o’clock. Tom had moved into an area where you can predict the weather and it was green. Well, those days are gone and he quickly learned weather patterns are certainly different and sometimes it doesn’t rain at all.

Tom did quite a bit of day work for Jay Dobson, Bill Busenbark and Pete Brawley. He talked about learning how to work cattle in Arizona. In Montana you saw every calf born while in Arizona you can’t see every calf born. In the late ’80 ies, Tom partnered with his brother-in-law to buy his first ranch, The Schillings Ranch in the Winchester Mountains. Tom eventually bought out his brother-in-law. For his next adventure he bought the Double N Ranch from Delmas DuBois. His last ranch purchase was in 2020 when Tom bought the Red Tail Ranch.

In the middle of working these ranches a life changing event took place. Yes, Tom Todd had met a girl. He had been encouraged to call her and on that first date he took Heidi Haas to the movies in Tucson. They dated for four years before they were married in 1993. Tom and Heidi had three boys. Robert, Luke and Jacob and today all are working in the farming and ranching industry.

With the three boys Tom was active in 4-H and FFA, feeding and showing cattle. Plus they did a little rodeoing. Tom liked going to the Willcox Sherriff’s Posse Tuesday night roping’s because it brought people together. He still has the itch to compete in the Ranch Rodeos, but nobody askes anymore.

Tom said. “He moved to a different place every 15 years”. But then he and Heidi built a house out on the ranch bought from Delmas. Tom said, “I’m not moving again”. It is a little confusing that Tom bought the Double NN ranch, but uses the G Bar brand that he got from Bud Guntterman. And it was Bud Gunterman that sold his G Bar ranch to Tom’s dad Larry, which became the Warbonnet.

All Tom ever really wanted to do was raise cattle and work with horses, always trying to make things better. Every kid has a different interest while growing up. If you are interested in your business, it makes it easier to the work. It is more enjoyable. He is a modern-day rancher working with EID chips to gather carcass data to improve his genetics, controlling his calving season and using vaccination protocols. He is the real deal. He has lived in Willcox for 42 years and feels like a native.

Those who have worked with Tom have these things to say. “Fun to be around. Nothing bothers him. A good friend. Zero things get Tom riled up. And If I ever needed anything he’d be the first one I’d go to.” Tom said, “I am humbled and honored to be inducted into the Willcox Cowboy Hall of Fame. I have a lot of respect for others in Cowboy Hall of Fame and it is an honor to be remembered as one of them.” When asked how he wants to be remembered? He said, “God has blessed me. I want to take care of my ranches and hand them down in better shape then when I got them.”

Please welcome Tom Todd. Presenting the plaque will be his dad, Larrie Todd.